Monday, December 23, 2013

The Conservative War on Christianity

The Conservative War on Christianity

As a liberal Christian, I always feel like I’m battling an uphill
battle to prove that Christianity isn’t anything like Republicans make
it out to be.
And honestly, that is the argument I have most with people from other faiths or those who follow no faith. Republicans have distorted Christianity
so much that, for most people, their ignorance defines what
Christianity is. Which, of course, couldn’t be further from the truth.
Even this time of year as the annual “war on Christmas” hits its
stride, conservatives seem to be going out of their way to make
Christians seem like a bunch of spiteful, hateful, angry and petty
individuals.
In fact, I’ll argue that conservatives have waged their own “war on Christianity.”
After all, conservative ignorance is by far the leading reason why
I’m told by former Christians that they no longer follow the faith.

While conservatives will sit there and claim that it’s liberals who
are anti-Christian and waging a “war on Christmas,” you know something I’ve never heard?“I’m no longer a Christian because of liberal beliefs and ideologies.”
But I have heard quite often:“I’m no longer a Christian because of the ignorance of Republicans and conservative ideology.”
So, at the end of the day, who’s really the enemy of Christian values?
Liberals like myself who are fighting to reclaim real Christianity
and the values for which it espoused, or those who are driving millions
of people from the faith because of their absolute ignorance?
Because I can’t say I’ve heard anyone – ever -- say to me, “I became a Christian because of the value system the Republican party represents.”
And why should they? Those values are built on greed, hate, anger,
fear, paranoia and judgement. You know, the complete opposite of what
Jesus Christ actually stood for. In fact, these people have actually
somehow convinced themselves that Jesus would be a gun-loving capitalist
who would support cuts to programs that help feed the poor and needy
while advocating tax cuts for the wealthiest among us.
Seriously, millions of them really believe this.
So, who’s really the enemy of Christianity? Well I’d say it’s those
who cause the most damage to the faith, while driving the most people
from it.

That would be these “moral majority” conservatives who believe
“Christianity” lies in opposing abortion, gay marriage and church
attendance.
You know, issues that Jesus Christ never once spoke about.

About Allen CliftonAllen
Clifton is from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and has a degree in
Political Science. He is a co-founder of Forward Progressives, and
author of the popular Right Off A Cliff column. He is also the founder of the Right Off A Cliff facebook page, on which he routinely voices his opinions and stirs the pot for the Progressive movement. Follow Allen on Twitter as well, @Allen_Clifton.